FG unhappy at reporting on party’s ‘demise’
The party is hoping to assert itself as an alternative to the Government at the FG Árd Fheis this weekend and show it has recovered from that enormous setback.
According to senior party sources, media reports regularly refer to the decline of FG’s fortunes, yet it is still the second-largest party by a long margin.
“We feel at times that there is an unhealthy predilection for running down Fine Gael and referring to the ‘demise’,” the source said.
Since the general election, the party’s membership has increased from 20,000 to 30,000 and support in the opinion polls has stabilised; the next challenge is to build on that by running a vigorous local and European election campaign, the source said.
FG headquarters is spending €1.3 million on this summer’s elections and has already amassed a war chest of €750,000. Last year, the party raised almost €1m from its national draw.
FG is aiming to set out its policy platform for the elections in June and kick-start the campaign for its 700 local election candidates.
Similar to his speech at the national conference in Galway last year, FG leader Enda Kenny will be focusing on truth, honesty, and putting the individual first.
The party hierarchy is aiming to avoid debating internal rules and regulations by postponing these issues to a special delegate conference later in the year.
The national executive is examining the system of electing party leaders, including the option of input from party members and local authority members. This will also be debated at the November conference.
At present, only Fine Gael TDs, Senators and MEPs are involved, but the Labour Party’s leader is now elected by the party membership, while the Progressive Democrats have also devised an electoral college.
Motions up for debate this weekend includes introducing electronic tagging for juvenile and sex offenders, and concerns at the inconsistency in sentencing in courts.
